THE TOP 8 ART GALLERIES TO STOP BY IN ABIDJAN
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17/8/2024
DISCOVER SOME OF THE BEST ART SPACES IN THE IVORIAN CAPITAL
Abidjan, nicknamed “Little Paris”, is known as the Business hub of he francophone West Africa region and a go-to place to indulge African “enjoyment”. However, as in other West African capitals such as Dakar or Lagos, culture is also central to the local lifestyle, with a vibrant art scene and numerous spaces dedicated to African art and creativity. Côte d’Ivoire and its capital are home to many established and emerging artists, thanks to the cultural diversity of its many ethnic groups and communities from neighbouring countries. With this dynamic pool of creatives and art spaces, it's no wonder that the tentacular city bathed by the Ebrie lagoon has been described as one of the most popular cities on the West Coast.
In Abidjan, the art world is concentrated in the affluent neighborhood of Cocody, home to most of the top art galleries, many of which are run by women. Here is our list of eight art galleries to visit next time you are in Abidjan !
LOUISIMONE GUIRANDOU GALLERY
Owned by the dean of art gallerists in Abidjan, the LouiSimone Gallery is a reference in the art scene and one of the few black-owned art spaces in Côte d'Ivoire. The Gallery was opened in 2015 by the mother-daughter duo Simone Guirandou N'Diaye and Gazelle Guirandou N'Diaye. The former has a degree in Art Theory and Applied Linguistics and History. She opened her first Gallery, Arts Pluriels, in 1991, and has worked with Ivorian, African, and international artists for thirty years.
The Gallery champions contemporary art by promoting an eclectic, avant-garde aesthetic. It represents outstanding Ivorian artists such as Laetitia Ky and Obou Gbais and Nigerian artists Prince Obasi and Wanger Ayu. A respected name, the LouiSimone Gallery also participates in international art events such as the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and the Art x Lagos.
Located near the Goethe Institute, the façade of the building housing the Gallery was designed by the renowned architecture firm Koffi & Diabaté. Adorned with a graphic facade, the building is an elegant blend of modernity and eco-conscious design. It provides a sophisticated setting for art, enhanced by natural light streaming in from the ceiling and illuminating the works on display.
LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery (Tue-Sat 10am-7pm)
Street C27 Cocody Mermoz (close to the Goethe Institut)
01 BP 2759, Abidjan 01Côte d’Ivoire
STUDER GALLERY (EX. ARTTIME GALLERY)
Studer Gallery is a contemporary art gallery based in Abidjan and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Formerly known as Art Time, the Gallery was founded in 2017 by a young couple, Alix and Guillaume Studer.
The Gallery collaborates with various artists, including photographers, painters, sculptors, furniture makers, and designers. The Gallery features established artists and rising stars from a variety of backgrounds; its artists come from the continent but also from Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. Among them are Jean-Servais Somian, Zemba Luzamba, Raji Bamidele, Miles Regis, Philippe Perrin, Siriki Ky...
In addition to hosting artistic exhibitions, the Gallery also has an online shop where you can buy photographs, paintings, or limited edition artworks online, giving its artists a digital presence. The aim is to make the contemporary art market accessible to all, regardless of their social background, and to appeal to a new generation of art connoisseurs and collectors on the continent. The Gallery also helps young artists manage their work and materials.
Studer Gallery - (Tue-Sat 10am-7pm)
13 Bd Hassan II
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
CECILE FAKHOURY GALLERY
The Cécile Fakhoury Gallery is an unmissable landmark in Abidjan and a reference point for the African artistic landscape. Founded by Cécile Fakhoury, daughter of Parisian gallery owners and daughter-in-law of the Ivorian-Lebanese architect Pierre Fakhoury, the Gallery is dedicated to promoting contemporary art throughout the African continent.
Initially opened in Abidjan in 2012, the Gallery has evolved into a multi-site Gallery with spaces in Paris and Senegal, giving its artists international visibility. The Gallery is a household name in the black and African art world. Celebrating its tenth anniversary last year, Cecile Fakoury Gallery participates in global art fairs, from Art + Basel to Partcours Dakar and other international biennials.
The Gallery represents many talents from the continent and the diaspora. Fakhoury and her team organize regular art shows with a sharp selection: works by Aboudia, Assoukrou Aké, Jess Atieno, Eva Diallo, Jems Koko Bi Françaois-Xavier Gbré or Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux have already graced the walls of the art space.
Located on the Boulevard Latrille, the space has a minimalist, uncluttered design: 600 m2 divided into two rooms. The façade is a block of pale grey concrete surrounded by large trees, while the interior offers plenty of space to take in the artwork.
Cecile Fakhoury Gallery (Tue-Sat 10 am-7 pm)
Boulevard Latrille
06 BP 6499 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
DONWAHI FOUNDATION
The Donwahi Foundation is a dynamic and singular art space in Abidjan. Both a Gallery and a lounge restaurant, the Foundation also has a garden space, the Jardins Kommander, and is the perfect spot to spend artistic time in the city. Its lounge is ideal for working, meeting up, dining, and enjoying cocktails.
The Fondation Donwahi is named after Charles Bauza Donwahi in honor of this pillar of the politics of the first President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Félix Houphouët Boigny.
The Foundation is dedicated to the development, promotion and dissemination of artistic activities. It offers various artistic media: painting, graffiti, sculpture, photography, short and feature films, and a mix of eclectic and subjective creative programmes. It organizes art events and contributes to local cultural initiatives such as the Young Designers Workshop or the signing of books by Ivorian writers.
Boulevard Latrille (in front of the Saint-Jacques church) Cocody Deux Plateaux
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
AMANI GALLERY
The Amani Gallery transcends traditional exhibition spaces, offering visitors an immersive experience of aesthetic wonder with warmly-colored walls, rustling bamboo, and an open-air ceiling.
The Gallery features a fusion of diverse artistic styles and expressions: whether through original artworks, unique sculptures, repurposed furniture, or other creatively reinvented objects, the Gallery showcases a spectrum of creative voices, each resonating with distinctiveness, mastery, and emotion.
Founded in December 2009 by Mr. N'Guetta Léon Jean, an artist, and avid art collector, the Gallery is located in Zone 4, near the Marcory Grand Market. It is one of the older black-owned galleries in the Ivorian capital. A self-taught artist, he chooses the works on display. There, you will find colons and 'Aoulabas,' wooden sculptures, as well as other works such as giant mirrors, coffee tables, and large vases. It's a selection that works on a whim, making the Amani Gallery a unique space in its own right.
Amani Gallery - (Tue-Fri 9.30 am-6 pm, Sat 9.30 am-8 pm)
1 rue du Docteur Blanchard ZONE 4 C
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
SOMETHING ART SPACE
Something Art Space is an experimental art space in the Blockhaus, the Ebrie village of Abidjan. The space is surrounded by the Ivoire Trade Center, numerous ambassies, and the iconic Sofitel Hotel Ivoire. Something Art Spaces presents various media with a focus on video, digital art and critical thinking, Ivorian, and international creations.
It was founded by Anna-Alix Koffi, an art curator and multitasking figure in the Ivorian art scene who has also been involved in the dissemination of black art through many magazines. She created the journal on african+black art & critical thinking somethingweafricansgot.arts, the quarterly African & black creatives print something.profiles and womanpaper.arts, limited edition prints for fairs and festivals, and the offthewallphotobook magazine.
The Something Art space opened in 2022 and is presented as a physical platform for various publications. The space is a hybrid, two-storey space with minimalist concrete walls, where artworks or screens are sometimes used to broadcast images and videos. It hosts exhibitions, installations, and talks with prominent members of the cultural world.
Something Art Space - (Tue-Wed 7-10 pm, Wed 7-10 pm, Thur 12-10 pm, Fri 7.30-10.30 pm, Sat 12-7 pm)
1035 rue Booker Washington (Blockhaus entrand, after the Ivoire Trade Center)
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
ROTONDE DES ARTS
The Rotonde des Arts space is located in the Plateau business district. La Rotonde des Arts is a contemporary art center created by the Nour Al Hayat Foundation and managed by the association Initiative pour l'art contemporain.
The programme is overseen by Yacouba Konata, an art critic, collector, professor, and well-known figure in the local art world. He was a member of the Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences, Culture and Arts of Africa and the Diaspora (ASCAD) and Honorary President of the International Association of Art Critics (Aica). The space welcomes both Ivorian and international artists.
In addition to its regular collective and solo exhibitions, the Gallery publishes numerous art books and exhibition catalogues. La Rotonde des Arts also houses a remarkable permanent collection, accessible on the first floor. It boasts works by renowned contemporary Ivorian artists such as Salif Diagabaté, Pascal Konan, Jems Koko Bi, Christian Lattier, Michel Kodjo, Michèle Tadjo, Frédéric Bruly-Bouabré, Aboudia, Mathieu Tano and others. The Gallery hosts art dialogues, literary meetings, theatre performances, and permanent exhibitions of sculpture, photography, and painting.
Rontonde des Arts - (Mon-Sat 10 am-6 pm)
Intersection Rue Lecoeur & Rue Chardy
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
FARAH FAKHRI GALLERY
The latest addition to Abidjan's galleries, the Farah Fakhri Gallery, opened last December.
Its inaugural exhibition, titled Identities, brought together six artists from the African continent and its diaspora: Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Samson Bakare, Ugandan Collin Sekajugo, Ghanaian-Welsh textile and sculpture designer Anya Paintsil, Ghanaian painter Hawa Awanle Ayiboro, Moroccan painter Rahma Lhoussig, Ghanaian painter Hamid Nii Nortey and painter Tosin Kalejaye, illustrating its African identity and global dimension.
The Gallery strives to create a space for cultural interaction through residencies and educational initiatives, establishing itself as a dynamic center for artists, collectors, and art lovers. Its residency allows artists to discover the rich cultural landscape and artistic community of Côte d'Ivoire.
The space is characterized by a grey façade and a metal staircase - a new stop to discover more art from Côte d'Ivoire and Africa.
Farah Fakhri Gallery - (Tue-Sat 10 am-6 pm)
Avenue Delafosse, 04 BP 1387, 04
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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